Finches Anyone?

Finches Anyone? Earl Plato
Some of you might want to see the Shroud of Turin. Nothing wrong with that. I would like to see some of the songbirds that Sclence teacher, Lewis McKenzie, has
reported to me. Let’s take a walk through the city and along the picturesque Po river.
I reported seeing finches near Bristol, England and thanks to Jim McFarlane of Ridgeway giving me a bird magazine on his return from England. Lewis reports seeing English finches that I saw, #5 the Bullfinch and #6 the Green finch. He says, “both uncommon.” Then he records #8 the Goldfinch and #9 the Chaffinch and writes, “they are in our schoolyard and very common in our parks.” #8 the Goldfinch we know very well but the Chaffinch? This is a pretty bird with double white wing bars. It has a bluish gray head and pink underparts. It’s common in Europe but I have never seen one in North America. Lewis McKenzie adds #7 the Siskin, a little finch. I know Pine siskins. I wonder if they are the same.
#24 the Great Grey Shrike that is “not a songbird, but it eats them!!”
Oh I forgot #4 the Hawfinch “in our school yard!! but uncommon.”
Here’s a beautiful bird #29 the Skylark. Lewis sees it along the fields that line the Po before it enters Turin proper. It has one of the most beautifully long sustained songs. I have heard its cousin the Horned Lark in Wainfleet Marsh. The quality of the song is a liquid chir-r-rup as it flies. Iimagine the European Skylark’s song is even finer as it is recorded in English poetry and writings.